


Catfish

by dinosaur12



Series: Black Clover [4]
Category: Black Clover - Tabata Yuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alcohol, Catfishing, Eventual Smut, F/M, Female Reader, Fluff, LMAO, Mild Sexual Content, Misunderstandings, only the last chapter is smutty tho
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-29
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:20:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,667
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26033323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dinosaur12/pseuds/dinosaur12
Summary: You didn't expect to have much fun at the mixer with Finral, but one young man changed that. Is this a connection that will last? Or is "James" hiding a big secret from you?
Relationships: Julius Novachrono/Reader
Series: Black Clover [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1771279
Comments: 17
Kudos: 88





	1. the mixer

**Author's Note:**

> So uhhh I’ve had this idea bouncing in my brain for like a month and I need to get rid of it so now you guys are subjected to it. Oops? It’s pretty self indulgent but hey what’s new? Anyway enjoy!

Even after 3 years of being part of the Black Bull’s squad, one thing remained constant: Finral never, NEVER stopped flirting.

“Ah!!~ You look so lovely today, why don’t the two of us go on a date sometime?” Finral appeared out of nowhere as you minded your own business, extending a gaudy bouquet of flowers towards you. You almost screamed in terror as he popped up, but managed to contain it.

“Er, thanks? Finral, you don’t have to keep giving me these, and anyway-” You laughed nervously. “I told you this before... you’re cool and everything, I just think it could be weird to date someone on the same squad, you know?” It’s true, in-squad dating could potentially lead to some very awkward situations. You had explained this reasoning to Finral time and time again, but he never seemed to quite get it.

“Aw... wait, you’ve told me that before, haven’t you?

“Yes, several times.”

“Well...” Finral’s eyes suddenly light up. “Since we’re both two lonely souls, and you want to meet someone from outside the squad, why don’t you come to the mixer with me next week?”

You’re not exactly sure what he’s talking about, but it sounds sketchy. “Mixer?”

Finral’s eyes widen. “Yeah, a mixer! It’s where young single people come to mingle and meet one another. You get paired with people for dinner.”

“Oh, so like a blind date?” The thought of going on a “date” with someone you don’t even know is sort of intimidating, but Finral keeps insisting that it’s fun. You _do_ want to find a boyfriend at some point, just because it’s starting to get lonely. Being a magic knight is fun and all, but it takes up a lot of time, and relationships need time to build. Maybe this would be a good way to meet some people from other squads after all. “Alright... I’ll go with you.”

“Wonderful! We can be each other’s wingmen!”

“I don’t know about that...”

(one week later)

Two minutes after arriving in the town of Nean, you’re already regretting this decision. Finral dragged you into some loud, crowded inn. Most of the other girls there were dressed to impress, frilly gowns and ribbons in their hair. But you were still wearing your work clothes and cloak. That's what Finral was wearing, anyway! "You could have at least warned me about the dress code," you whispered to him angrily.

"Huh? Oh, don't worry about that!" Finral assured you. "Lots of girls like it if you're wearing your squad cloak! It attracts them like crazy!"

That's all well and good, but what about the men? Most of the men here seem to be making beelines for the girls in the pretty dresses, paying no mind to the girl with the squad cloak. "Well, what now?"

"We need to find a place to sit- Look! Over there!" Finral pointed at a table where a boy was already sitting, with two girls right across from them. He grabbed your hand and dragged you over. "Hey guys! Looks like you need another lady, huh?"

The guy blinked, sizing the two of you up. "...alright." The way he saw it, Finral wouldn't be a big threat, causing him to smile. "Have a seat!"

"Thanks!" Finral sits down across from one of the girls, then points at the empty seat with no one across from it. "Go on! Now we just need another guy..." He frowned as he realized you weren't moving. "What's wrong?"

You tried to string together some words. Already, you can tell that this guy isn't going to be very interested in you, and you doubt the last one will be either. So, what's the point? "Finral... I-I just remembered I have something to do-" You said quickly. "So, ah, I gotta-"

"WOW!" You were cut off by a loud gasp behind you. "A magic knight? No, TWO magic knights... Jackpot!"

You turned around to see the source to the exclamation: a young man with curly brown hair and the thickest glasses you had ever seen. _He looks like a stereotypical librarian,_ was your very first thought. "Er- I was just-"

"Can I sit here with you guys? Please?" He's basically vibrating with excitement at the mere thought. It's a little creepy.

The other guy at the table chuckles to himself. "Go ahead, we need one more."

Oh god. Now you were trapped.

“Hello everyone! Now, we should all introduce ourselves to get warmed up!” Finral immediately takes charge of the dinner, which I’m grateful for. If nothing else, he’s good at riling people up, one way or another. “I’ll start! My name is Finral Roulacase, I’m 21, and I am a member of the Black Bulls! One interesting thing about me is that my Captain basically depends on me for everything. Without me, the squad would go under!”

“Whoa, really?” Mr. Spectacles blinks slowly as he looks at Finral in awe for some reason.

“Well, sort of.” Finral laughs nervously. “Next!”

The guy who was here originally flashes the girls a smile. “Good evening. I’m Emile, I’m 23, and I help my father run his merchant business.” The girls’s eyes immediately light up at this information. Having money is probably a plus. “And an interesting thing about me... I’m a _great_ kisser.” Emile winks over at them.

_Shit, he’s good!_ Finral thinks to himself.

_I mean, he is pretty handsome,_ you thought to yourself, eyeing Emile up. _But... I don’t know. He rubs me the wrong way already. Maybe Finral_ is _the best option here-_

The last guy stands up, wringing his hands together nervously as he squints over at us through his glasses. “Hello!!! I guess it’s my turn, ahah! Thanks for letting me sit with you, once again!” He giggles to himself nervously. “My name is, uh.... James! And I’m... uh... 21 as well! I work in the... uh- the Royal Library! I know that’s probably not where you expect a fellow young-person to work, but I do! And, an interesting fact about me... well, I’m not just going to tell you, you’ll have to ask me to find out.”

None of us know what to think about James. Finral stares at him for a moment before shrugging and turning back to the girls. “Now, what about you lovely ladies?”

The two girls recite their information, but their gazes are only directed on Emile and James. Mostly Emile, though... even though James works in the Royal Library and probably has connections, they don’t seem to care much for his manner... or something. James doesn’t seem to mind, though, he just keeps looking around the inn like a child in a candy store. 

Finally, it’s your turn to tell everyone your name, and you do, a little nervously. “I’m 21 too, I’m on the Black Bulls, and, uh...” You were blanking on a fun fact so you decided to piggyback off of James. “Ask me for an interesting fact later. Hehe.”

A waitress comes by and drops off some beer (THANK GOD). You quickly start drinking in the hopes that it will calm your nerves, but get distracted when Emile calls your name. “So, you and Finral are the same age? You must have taken the exam together then. What was that like?”

“Oh, well, you see-” Your hands were shaking now that this very handsome guy was staring at you with interest. “I-I didn’t take the exam. Our captain ran into me at a bad time in my life and thought my powers would be a good match for the team-”

“A bad time in your life? What happened?”

You gulp nervously. “My... parents died. About three years ago?”

Emile’s eyes widen. “You’re an orphan, then?”

“Er, technically-”

“Let’s change the subject!” Finral interjects before I can get any more uncomfortable. The conversation moves on and any interest Emile had in you is gone. You supposed that a girl with no parents wouldn’t be much of a profit... no dowry. _Well, if a guy wants to date me just for the money, then he isn’t worth it!_ you think, but still feel a bit disappointed. 

“Your captain took you in? He must be a nice guy.” You looked up to see James speaking to you with a little smile on his face. He’s calmed down by now as well. “I’m sure you make a good member of the team.”

_Well... at least he’s nice! I should at least make an effort to get to know him._ He seemed a little eccentric but honestly who wasn’t? “So, er, James,” you started, not sure what to ask. “Have you been to a mixer before?”

“Nope! This is my first one.”

“Oh, me too!” For some reason, the answer put you at ease. Everyone else here seemed to be comfortable. James reached up and took his glasses off to clean them briefly, and for the first time, you got a good look at his eyes.

... they were beautiful, a shade of purple you had never seen before.

“... what are you looking to get out of this mixer?”

The question was a bit bold, and you weren’t exactly sure why you asked it. Something possessed you in that moment, because there was something strange about James, something you didn’t notice until he took off his glasses. 

“Hmm?” James looked back up at you as he put his glasses back on. “Oh, I don’t get out much! My job is pretty hard, believe it or not.” He giggled to himself as if it were an inside joke. “I thought this would be a good way to meet new people and see new things!”

_... that’s all?_ For some reason, the answer was a bit disappointing. Maybe he wasn’t looking for a date, maybe he really did just want to socialize.

_But I can’t give up... I don’t know why, but I feel a strange need to succeed. And I will!_

_“_ What about you?” James asks obliviously.

You clear your throat and summon every ounce of courage within you.

“I’m looking for a boyfriend, of course.”

You winked, internally screaming as James’s eyes widened a little. _Ahh! Hopefully that doesn’t scare him off-_

After the moment of clarity, James breaks into another adorable smile, but he can’t hide the blush on his cheeks. “Oh... see any good options yet?”

_Got him! “_ Maybe... we’ll see.”

After that the food comes, and your nerves melt as determination takes hold. It’s been a long time since you actively flirted with anyone, but you think you’re doing pretty well here. You have James basically all to yourself since both of the other girls seem to be only interested in the more charismatic Emile. Most of my comments go over James’s head, but you know when one connects because his ears turn bright red and his voice wavers. Most of the time, though, he’s bombarding you and Finral with questions about being magic knights.

But, eventually the event devolves. Emile gets a little tipsy and challenges both of the other guys to a drinking contest. “Whoever wins gets all three of the girls to themselves!” he states cockily. You don’t really like the way he just lumped you all into this like you were objects.

“Now, now, that doesn’t sound healthy!” Finral objects quickly, but yelps when Emile grabs him by the front of the shirt. “AH! I mean, may the best man win!”

James just laughs and picks up his mug. “I’m ready!”

Five drinks in, and Finral falls forward onto the table, passed out. Emile, who is belligerently drunk by now, roars and grabs him by the front of the shirt. “You can’t just fall asleep on me! Keep fighting! Do you want to make me look like a fool!? Get- Get-” He lets go of Finral and staggers back. “Ouch...”

You avert your eyes, feeling very embarrassed. Emile was making everyone at this table look stupid. Luckily, Emile sat down heavily in his chair and ended up passed out in the same position as Finral 2 seconds later. 

“Well... looks like I won!” To everyone’s surprise, the nerdy, slight James is the only one still standing. “Haha, so, ladies?”

“I’m out.”

“Me too.”

Both of the girls unceremoniously stand up and walk off, not sparing either of you a passing glance as they disappear. And just like that... You and James are alone.

“... that was rude how they just left. I think you’re pretty nice,” you said, wringing your hands together under the table.

“Really? That’s nice of you,” James says cheerfully. “I didn’t really know what to expect from tonight, but it’s fun! I’m sorry you had to get stuck with me at the end, though.”

“Huh? No, don’t be sorry! Emile really isn’t my type and Finral’s just a friend... plus, I told you,” you brought yourself to look in his eyes again. “I think you’re pretty nice...”

James just chuckles a little at that, his blush still visible but lessened. He must have gotten used to it by now. “Wanna go outside?”

“Sure!” 

You make sure that Finral is comfortable in his sleep before walking outside after James, your eyes fixed on the back of his curly brown hair. _He’s a weird guy. Sometimes he seems so hyper, but other times he’s mellow. I wonder if he’s putting on an act?_

_“_ Look, there’s still a lot of people down in the square.” James gestures down at the street over the railing of the walkway the two of you are on. “I love people-watching... sometimes you can tell what kind of magic they have just from the way they move! Like him-” He points at a guy walking with his hands in his pockets. “What do you think he does?”

“Hmm...” You lean on the railing next to him, not sure why he was so interested in this. “I don’t know. Probably something boring.”

James lets out a short laugh, shaking his head. “No one is boring... everyone in the kingdom has an exciting story to tell, you know? I’m sure you do...”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” you reply, looking up to see him staring at you with that little smile once again.

“... I think you’re interesting.”

For the first time in a long time, your heart skipped a beat.

“... fire magic.”

“Huh?”

“That guy, he has fire magic.”

“Oh!” James looks down at the guy once again. “What makes you say that?”

You point at the man before he walks out of sight. “The way he saunters around, like he owns this whole town. That’s how a lot of fire-magic users are. They think they’re _hot_ shit or something...”

Your voice trails off, then you both burst into laughter. “Hey! That wasn’t even a good pun, stop laughing!”

“Oh? Make me.”

_... uh oh._

You stopped laughing as James continued to chuckle. For some reason, all parts of his face faded from your vision... all but his lips.

But you didn’t take the chance, and he settled down. “I bet you’re right, though. You have a fire-magic user on your squad, don’t you?”

“Yeah, Magna... hey-” You frowned. “How did you know that?”

James stuck out his tongue teasingly with a wink. “No reason. Anyway-” His eyes suddenly twinkled violently as he rapidly changed the subject. “Right now! Tell me your top five types of magic!”

_Top five types of magic?! What is that supposed to mean?!_ You gulped, stuttering as you tried to think of something. “Uh... well...” You started counting off on your fingers. “I like Finral’s spatial magic... and light magic! Only the King has that but it’s cool. And then Vanessa’s thread magic, I’ve never seen anything like it. Lord Nozel’s mercury magic is neat, and then number one is Captain Yami’s dark magic.”

“Interesting...”

“What about you?”

“Hmmm...” He hums for a long time before breaking into what’s obviously a well-rehearsed list. “Memory Magic, Tree Magic, Fire Magic, Dark Magic, Time Magic, and... hmm...” He hums again before looking down at you. “What kind of magic do you have, by the way?”

The question caught you off guard, especially when James was about to finish his list. “oh... it’s gem magic...”

“Gem magic?”

“Basically I can conjure them and shoot them at people. They can also refract other magic and send it in a different direction.” James doesn’t say anything right away, but when I look back up at him he’s vibrating with excitement. “That’s.. so cool! I’ve never seen that in action before! So, I guess...” He winks. “Gem Magic is my favorite magic.”

_... oh my god. That was smooth. James?!?! WHo are you?!!?_

_“_ I’ve never seen it in action before, though... you should demonstrate it for me next time!”

“Oh, sure- wait, next time-”

“Great!” James laughs warmly, adjusting his glasses. “I have a day off next week! I’ll write you a letter!”

You stared at him for a moment, stunned. _Did he just ask me on a second date? Or am I overthinking it... no, he definitely just did!_

_“_ Well, I’ll see you next week. Goodnight!” Before you get over your shock, James swoops down and grabs your hand, presses a kiss to the back, then walks off behind you. You blink, finally coming to your senses. Jeez, it was like he put you in a trance or something! “James! Wait-”

You turn around, and he’s gone.

You had some time to sit and think after that while Finral recovered enough to transport you home. James had first struck you as a nerdy, eccentric, yet ordinary guy at first, but now... you were right, there was just _something_ off about him. Part of you wanted to go on the date with him to get to the bottom of the mystery... but then the other part of you wanted it for a _different_ reason.

Either way... something strange was going on here. Stranger than you could _possibly_ imagine.


	2. the date

“Good morning, Captain!”

“Ughhh good morning.” Yami yawned, wishing he was back in bed, before sitting down at the head of the table. His gaze swept across his squad, who were already chowing down on breakfast. Charmy was always on top of every meal, churning out good food for everyone to enjoy. “Hey, you, why are you awake? Today’s your day off.”

“Oh! I just wanted to get an early start,” you piped up in response to his questions.

Vanessa giggled as she sipped from her first wine of the day, not quite drunk yet. “I’m surprised you can get up so early when you stay up so late writing those letters~”

Yami frowned as everyone but you started to snicker at the comment. “Letters? Who’re you writing to?”

Today, you were the one with the bright red ears as you glared around at everyone. “N-No one!”

“It’s that guy from the mixer, right?” Finral asked. “Tell us more!!” 

You shook your head. “I don’t know what you guys are talking about-”

Right as you said that, a small portal opened up and a letter dropped down onto the table, right in front of Yami. He picked it up, and couldn’t help but snort with laughter. “It’s for you, Casanova.”

Everyone at the table burst into gales of laughter as you turned a shade more befitting a tomato than a magic knight. “Yami! Give me that!” 

Yami examined the letter momentarily, noticing that there was no return address. _That’s a bit strange..._ His eyes narrowed as he spotted something curious. _This symbol on the seal... it seems really familiar..._

_“_ Here.” He tossed the letter to you, and you quickly put it in your pocket before anyone else could snatch it away. “Who is this guy, anyway? He’s not the type to break your heart, is he?”

“No, no, he’s sweet,” you assured him, finally feeling your face start to cool down. “Finral’s right... we’ve been corresponding ever since the mixer. I was going to go see him today, actually.”

“Well, have fun.” Yami picked up the newspaper and flipped it open with a flourish. “Just make sure he uses a condom.”

“YAMI!!”

Ever since the mixer, you and James had been writing letters back and forth. His were always filled with questions and demands for interesting stories, as if he didn’t have enough of those in the library where he worked. You spent a lot of time detailing everything for him because you knew he wanted all the details, no matter how dull. He always responded enthusiastically, but failed to give much information about himself, claiming that he would tell you plenty in person. 

Well, today was that day. You hitched a ride with Magna to the Capitol before making your way to the Royal Library. It was located on the outskirts of the castle, a gigantic, intimidating building that towered above the rest of the city. The King was in there, and so was the Wizard King. You’d never meet the King, but you met the Wizard King a few times when you tagged along with Yami. This was the first time you came here alone, and to say you were nervous was an understatement. 

“You’re here!” A familiar, cheery voice greeted you as soon as you entered the musty building. The library was kept dark and cozy, only lit by a few hanging fixtures. But here was James... he looked exactly like he did last time, but now he was wearing a royal staff cloak over his regular clothes. One side of this glasses had a smudge on it, but you could still make out his lavender eyes. “I’m so glad to see you again.”

“Me too, James,” you replied happily, giving him a bright smile. You couldn’t help but blush as he automatically took your hand and kissed it, just like he did at the end of the mixer. It was a simple, almost chaste gesture, but somehow it sent you reeling.

_Jesus... I never expected to get a crush on a guy like this!_ You didn’t really consider yourself as having a “type.” You liked each person differently. However, James wasn’t the usual guy you would fall for. He was geeky, scrawny, bubbly, and almost erratic. But there was something about the way he moved, the way his eyes saw the world, that made you want to stick around. “So, what are we doing today?”

“I have a whole plan, don’t worry!” he told you happily, letting his hand stay in yours. “Ready to go?”

“Oh, we aren’t staying here?”

“Nope! Don’t worry, it’s still going to be nice.” With that, he lead you out into the hall and towards the exit of the castle. His brown curls bounced with each step. _Cute... he seems to be really excited,_ you thought, averting your eyes. _I’m looking forward to learning more about him-_

Suddenly, there was a sound of stomping feet from somewhere behind you. Both you and James turned to the sound, seeing that it was approaching from around the corner. Soon, a voice suddenly rang through the corridor.

“I swear!!! If you’re running off again to cause problems, I’ll have your hide! The King will, too!”

James’s grip on your hand tightened. “Uh oh... um, follow me!” You yelped a bit as he suddenly started running, right towards the window. He reached up and pushed it open, then spared no time in climbing up onto the windowsill. Before you had a chance to ask what the Hell he was doing, he help out his hand, a gentle smile on his face.

“Do you trust me?”

You hesitated only for a moment before reaching out and taking his hand once more.

With one sharp tug, James pulled you out, pushing off the window. You screamed as you realized that he had probably just doomed you both, since you were a few stories above the ground. “James!! What the-”

You didn’t have time to finish your sentence, because in the next moment you were flying, faster than you thought was possible. You screamed again, almost slipping out of his hands. James pulled you up and wrapped an arm around your waist securely. “Hold on!”

“It’s not like I have a choice!”

A couple seconds later, you slowed down and skidded to a stop. You immediately pushed him away and staggered back. “What the Hell!? Are you trying to kill me?”

“No! Why would I do that?” He looked genuinely hurt for a moment. “I’m sorry, but that guy back there is... uh... pretty strict.”

You narrowed your eyes. “I thought you said you had the day off?”

“Ah! I do! I do!” James’s insistence was suspicious. “But if he saw me hanging out with a girl on my day off, he would probably make me go back to work anyway. You know? ANYWAY-” He grabbed your hand again before you could question him further. “There’s a good spot nearby, follow me!”

You looked around for the first time and realized that you were standing by the side of a dirt road out in the countryside. In the distance, you could see the capitol, but you had to be miles away by now! “James, was that flight magic?” you asked as you followed alongside him, glancing back at the landscape frequently. “It was incredible...”

“Yes, yes, flight magic. That’s my magic,” James answered awkwardly. “And I’m glad you think so...” He laughed a little for some reason. “Thank you for coming out here with me, by the way.”

“My pleasure! I think it’ll be fun,” you told him, causing his smile to widen.

“Good! To tell you the truth... it’s been a while since I’ve been on a date. A real date, you know? In fact, I wasn’t really planning on it at the mixer, either. But hey, the best things in life are unexpected, right? So I hope you can forgive me if it seems like I’m improvising this!”

_To be fair, he seems to be improvising every word he says,_ you thought to yourself, but you nodded happily anyway. “Of course! I love the unexpected.”

Eventually the two of you reached a small hill by the side of the road, with a few trees adorning the top. James told me that he likes the spot because you can frequently see travelers moving along the road to the capitol. “Especially on Exam day, it’s fun to see what types of people are coming to try out for the Magic Knights,” he explains as we reach the top. 

“Did you ever try out to be a magic knight? Your magic seems pretty powerful,” you asked, sinking down to sit in the cool grass.

James shrugged. “Not... really. No. It’s not for me.”

“Oh? Why not?”

He stared down at you for a moment curiously before breaking into a little smirk. “Well, why do _you_ like it?”

You shrugged, but the answer came to you surprisingly easily. “Well, I guess I like feeling like I’m doing something important. Captain Yami trusted me with a spot on his squad, and I’m more than happy to prove that he made the right choice.” James cocked his head slightly, intrigued as you kept talking. “And if I can make even a little difference in the world... then it’ll be worth it.”

“... that’s admirable.” You looked up at James as he sat down heavily next to you, that smile still on his face. “People like you _should_ be magic knights. I’ve seen plenty of people that should probably find other avenues of employment. But, I don’t want to wait anymore, let’s eat!” He produced a picnic basket out of nowhere and set in in front of you. “I hope you’ll like what I picked out for lunch!”

“J-James, you brought all this?” Your eyes widen as he opens it up and starts pulling out a startlingly large amount of food. “You didn’t have to-”

“Oh, I did, though. What kind of man would I be if I didn’t treat my date right?” He punctuated his phrase with a wink, obviously proud of himself as you went red for what had to be the hundredth time that day. You didn’t say another word, and started to eat. _Some of this stuff is pretty fancy... I hope he didn’t spend too much money. Is he a noble?_ You were curious, and kept glancing over at him as you ate. “You know, I would have never expected you were like this,” you told him. “Like, uh...” He blinked slowly as you tried to express your sentiment. “You’re pretty good at making a girl blush, that’s for sure.”

“Am I? Oops!” He laughed it off. “But, you know what they say about librarians~”

“... huh?”

“... never mind.”

You changed the subject before the awkwardness set in again. “So, what kind of family are you from? You seem like nobility.”

James swallowed his food before answering. “Yeah, my parents are from a long line of nobles. Lot’s of expectations, and everything! Sometimes I’m afraid I’ve disappointed them. Even now that I’m...” His voice trails off before he finishes his sentence. “But yeah. I assume you’re not?”

“No, not at all. My parents weren’t really important at all. We lived on a farm, actually.” You smiled a little sadly at the memory. “It wasn’t easy, but we were comfortable... until...”

James’s hand suddenly came up to rest on your shoulder, and you looked up to see him gazing at you. “It’s okay, you don’t have to go on.”

“...thank you.”

After the food is gone, you did the promised magic demonstration. James’s eyes sparkled as bright as the gems you conjured up for his. “And then...” You flicked your hand, sending a volley of the green emeralds shooting into the ground, cutting right through the grass. “I call that spell _Emerald Splash!”_

_“_ Such quick and flashy magic!!” James exclaimed, jumping up to go examine the damage. “How much control do you have over them?”

Without warning, four more gems appear and shoot right at him. However, before they hit him, each one deflects around him. It caught James off-guard and he flinched heavily. For a moment, you thought you felt a sudden surge of mana come off of him, as if he were about to deflect it. However, he relaxes once he realizes that he wasn’t in any real danger. “You can control each individual one?”

“Only a couple at a time, but yeah.” You smiled proudly as James came bounding back to you like a golden retriever. “Amazing! Maybe gem magic really _is_ my favorite.”

“...” For some reason, his words struck some chord in you that made you start to feel sad. “James, you don’t have to say things that aren’t true, just to-”

“But, they are.” Before you knew it, he had grabbed your hand again, gazing right into your eyes. You were a bit taken aback, especially when you realized how... close your faces were together. “You... you _are_ amazing.”

“I’m... ordinary.”

“That’s what makes you amazing.”

Oh boy. It takes everything you have to keep your jaw from dropping. Your heart quickened as you noticed his eyes drift down to look at your lips, then slowly moved back to meet your gaze once again.

“...Ja-”

Your words are instantly swallowed by his lips as he leaned in all at once to give you a shallow kiss. The gesture shocked you to your core, and you couldn’t even react. James realized this and quickly pulled back. “AH! I-I didn’t mean to do that so suddenly, I-” 

This time, you were the one to cut him off, closing your eyes and leaning in blindly. Somehow, your lips connected again, and this time James didn’t pull back. You felt his arms wrap around you, pulling you into a tight hug against his chest. 

You remembered reading about first kisses in books. “ _Sparks flew, “the stars aligned,” “the chemistry was explosive,”_ and other corny phrases were all used, but this was the first kiss where every single one of them was true.

Neither of you wanted to pull back, so you didn’t. James moved for air just once before diving back in. _Wow, James... maybe your ‘fun fact’ at the mixer should have been that you’re a good kisser,_ you thought to yourself as you felt his hand stroke through your hair, causing you to shiver from head to toe. _Maybe I should stop ignoring nerdy guys!_

The two of you laid in the grass for a long time, tongues, teeth, and lips battling it out. But eventually, things cooled off, and you finally opened your eyes to look at the boy who held you in his arms.

His glasses had slid off during the session, and you sucked in a breath at the sight of his eyes. That deep purple color was almost hypnotizing, something about it so intoxicating and beautiful, yet...

sad.

James’s eyes were tired, stretched thin over a longer time than should have been possible. They were heavy with some emotion you couldn’t quite place, as well, but an emotion that was familiar to you somehow. But above all...

_These eyes... they don’t belong in this face._

_“_ Are you okay?” You were a bit startled when you realized that he was talking to you. “I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable, it-”

“NO! No,- I mean,” You couldn’t help but giggled as he looked relieved. “It was good... I liked that. A lot.”

“Ah... good. Me too.” James smiled and rolled off of you to lay down, his hand still entwined with yours. You rolled onto your side to rest your head on his chest, still wondering what it all meant. Everything seemed to add up about him, yet... nothing did. You were sure there was something he wasn’t telling you, but the desire to dig it up was quickly fading.

_I like James just like this... I don’t need to know anything else._

_“_ Maybe this is a selfish thing to think...” James’s voice was deeper than usual and he mumbled to you. “But you might be just what I need...”

Warmth blossomed in your chest at the admission.

“Well... then I’ll be more than happy to stick around.”

“Thank you.”

He kissed your forehead before the two of you drifted off for a short nap.

(later)

“So, how was the date?”

You looked over at Yami as you arrived back at the base. He was still reading a newspaper, but this time in the living room. Old habits die hard. “It was great, actually.”

“Good for you.” Yami turned the page. “What’s this guy’s name, again?”

“James! He works in the Royal Library.”

Yami let out a chuckle. “A librarian, huh? You know what they say about librarians~”

_Huh?! That’s the second time I’ve heard that today! “_ What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Oh, you know,” Yami said with difficulty as he started laughing harder. “Librarians are so straight-laced and all... but then you get to know them, and find out they’re secretly kinky in bed!”

You felt the blood drain from your face as Yami kept laughing at you. “AH! I-I didn’t need to know that!”

“You asked, though.”

“... whatever.”

However, nothing Yami could say could ruin today. You grinned to yourself as you headed up to your room, knowing for sure that you would be dreaming of James, and maybe he would be dreaming of _you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Is it just me or is this chapter so much more better written than the last one? IDK. Anyway send me a comment if you enjoyed it!! The next chapter will be... interesting. I’m still trying to decide if I want to include some ~spicy~ elements so let me know what I should do 0.0


	3. the truth

And so, a whole month went by. You found yourself visiting James probably more than you should have, but it was only when you either had time off or were done with all your work. Honestly, there wasn't a better way to spend your time. The two of you spent hours exploring the castle and hiding from the staff that wandered the area. James regularly snuck you into the kitchen late at night to get snacks and a little alcohol. He showed you his favorite place on the roof to watch the stars, and your favorite place to be was in his arms as he stared up at the sky longingly.

He was a perfect gentleman, all the time. You could listen to him for hours as he talked about the new things he'd encountered, and you loved getting into those discussions with him. But other times, you were both content to just lay together in the library and read a book.

That strange, unidentifiable emotion was still held within those tired yet excited eyes, the eyes that didn't belong on this boy's face. Slowly but surely... you found yourself getting lost in them.

_You were falling in love._

"Hey, here's another letter from your loverboy." Yami examined the seal for a moment before tossing it to you.

"Thanks, Yami!" You opened it immediately and scanned it over. Good timing! You had the day off tonight and tomorrow, and so did James. Your heart started to pound when you spotted the sentence towards the end: _Perhaps you can spend the night with me. I would like that a lot._

Oh boy. You blushed and quickly folded the letter up again, getting it out of sight. Even though the phrase "spend the night" appeared chaste, you knew exactly what he meant.

"Well, I'm off. Don't burn the building down while I'm gone." Yami was heading towards the door, broom in hand. Apparently he had a meeting with the Wizard King today. "Get your work done as well, don't just stand around."

"Yes, captain!" the Black Bulls chorused in reply.

Before long, Yami was walking through the castle, but paused as he reached the turn towards the Royal Library. _Maybe I should go check out this James guy... I need to make sure he's not a jerk or anything,_ he thought to himself. Not only that, but he had always had a strange feeling about the whole thing, ever since you first mentioned James, but he didn't know why.

Unfortunately, his suspicions were confirmed as soon as he asked the current Librarian.

"James? You must be mistaken.. there's no James that works here. There's not even any young men that work here," the librarian told him sadly. "Maybe you're mixed up with another department?"

Yami's eyes narrowed. So, James was lying about his job? Or maybe you were. Either way, it wasn't a good situation. But he couldn't keep investigating now, he had to go give this report to Julius first.

"Thank you, Yami... you know, I think if you pushed your squad to work a little harder-"

"Julius, I run my squad how I want," Yami interrupted, staring over at the older man as he read through his folder. "That's why you gave me my own squad, right?"

Julius nodded slowly before breaking into his trademark smile. "Of course, of course. I would have liked to see you succeed like William, but-" Julius decided to shut up when he saw the glare Yami gave him. "Anyway, is there anything else you wanted to address?" Julius sat down and grabbed a stack of papers as he talked. With surprising quickness, he folded each one up, stuck it in an envelope, and sealed it with one of his many wax seals.

"Not really... that looks boring."

"Ah, it is. But it's my duty, one of many, hehe."

Yami sighed and let his eyes drift down to the growing stack of sealed letters, the wax already cooled into the stamped design.

"..."

"Yami?" Julius looked back up and froze when he saw how pale Yami was, as if he had seen a ghost. "Yami, is something wrong?"

"This seal..." Yami held up to envelope. "Is this... your personal seal?"

Julius raised an eyebrow, starting to feel nervous for some reason. "Er... yeah? I'm sure you've seen it before."

Yami nodded slowly. He didn't know what to feel, but all of the sudden everything was falling into place. "Yeah, I've seen it. You know, maybe this seems a little random, but-" Yami cleared his throat.

"There's this brat that's been seeing one of my squad members lately. Calls himself James. I've never seen the guy, but he sends her letters all the time, and she's always all heart-eyed and shit over him."

He studied Julius's face for a reaction, and he got one. Julius's smile fell as soon as Yami mentioned the name.

"I went to check him out earlier today, because he supposedly works at the library. Turns out, he doesn't. I was going to go investigate more after our meeting, but..." Yami held up the letter. "Maybe you can tell me why 'James' has been sealing his letters with _your_ personal seal."

There was an excruciatingly long moment of unpleasant silence as the two men stared at each other, akin to a western standoff. Then, Julius deflated, letting out a long sigh as his shoulders slumped and he dropped his gaze to the floor.

"... you got me. I'm James."

He yelped in surprise when Yami's hand suddenly hit the desk in front of him. "I know _that_! What I want to know is if _she_ knows she's dating the damn Wizard King?!"

Julius flinched at the anger in Yami's words. This must have looked really, really bad to the Captain, who was more than a little protective over his squad even though he wouldn't admit it. "...no, she doesn't."

Yami let put a sigh through his nose, not sure what to think. "...how the Hell did you get yourself into this situation, Julius."

"Well... I really didn't expect to meet someone like her at the mixer," Julius started to explain, shame welling up within him. "I just wanted to see what it was like, one thing lead to another, and..." He shrugged, unable to even look at Yami. He knew it was wrong, and he felt dirty for doing it. But all the while...

"It's been a long, long time since someone was interested in me. Me. Not the Wizard King. 'Oh, I'm so lucky to go on a date with the Wizard King!' 'I can't believe you like me, Wizard King!' That's all I ever hear, and I'm tired of it."

Yami didn't say anything, still kind of shocked that this was actually happening.

"I wish someone could just tell me, 'I love you, Julius.'"

"... you need to tell her."

"I know." Julius rubbed his face nervously. "Every time we're together, I want to, but I'm afraid she'll just get scared off, or act like I'm disgusting-"

"She would be right to do so." Yami sighed, then reached out to clap Julius on the back. I can't believe I'm the one that has to give advice to this old man. He should have known better. But I suppose you can still learn things at his age. "Look, just be honest. From the way she talks about 'James', she's attached enough that this once ruin things. She'll probably just be more shocked than scared."

"You think so?" Julius perked up a bit to look up at Yami. "I guess I'll have to do it eventually anyway... alright!" He suddenly felt determined. "I'll do it tonight!"

(That evening)

Just as planned, you and James met up at the library. It was already closed and you had the place to yourselves as usual, so you went and curled up on one of the large couches to start your reading/cuddle session. You smiled to yourself as James pecked you on the head, your cheek resting against his chest comfortingly. "I've been looking forward to this all day."

"Have you? I'm glad." James gulped nervously. "So... are you okay with staying the night?"

You nodded, blushing a little. "Yeah, I am."

James nodded twice, his heart rate picking up.

_Shit! She's going to stay the night... I prepared for this... should I take her to the room then reveal who I am? No! She'd definitely freak out. So... I have to do it now. Or maybe tomorrow?_

'James' mentally hit himself. _No! If she spends the night, we're definitely going to end up going too far... I can't do that to her if she doesn't know the truth. I need to tell her now._

He couldn't put it off any longer. "Hey... there's something I need to tell you..." He looked down to see you looking up at him expectantly, that cute little smile on your face.

"Yes, James?"

He suddenly found himself forgetting what it was he wanted to say. "Never mind..."

One kiss won't hurt.

Easier said than done. His arms wrapped around you as you kissed back passionately, your lips and his fitted together perfectly. It was so good, too good, and he found himself pushing you over onto your back a moment later.

 _Julius! Get a hold of yourself!_ he thought frantically as he kissed your neck, coaxing a little whine that made him feel weak. He knew at this point he was just distracting himself, too afraid to face the decision he made earlier that day. Because, at this point, his worst fear was that he would lose you, the one person her had grown to love. But at the same time, it was because he loved you that he had to tell you, before-

"Ah!" You gasped out, and he realized that his hand had enclosed around one of your breasts.

He was immediately mortified, and the moment pulled him out of the haze and back to reality. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean-" He was about to pull back, but he couldn't. Your hand was resting on top of his.

"It's okay... I just didn't expect it to feel like that."

He gulped, frozen. "...you... you haven't been touched like that before?"

You averted your eyes, blushing profusely, but nodded yes to his question.

"...I'm sorry-"

"Don't be!" Your eyes suddenly snapped back up to his gaze, and his heart jolted at the emotion within them. No one had ever looked at him with so much... admiration. Not directed at a King, but at _him_.

"I-I want you, James... it's okay. I'm ready."

 _...oh god_.

Slowly, he retracted his hand. You frowned a little as that emotion in his eyes got stronger, and all at once you realized what it was.

Guilt.

"I can't."

"...huh?"

"I can't lie any longer, I'm sorry. You deserve to know... even if I lose you."

His hands were shaking slightly and you started to feel a little scared. "...what do you mean? James-"

"That's not my name." The words just confused you even further. "I'm sorry... I'm the biggest piece of shit there ever was. I'll..." he squeezed his eyes shut. "I'll let you decide what you think when you see the real me."

You were about to ask what he meant, but then he started to glow. The golden light enveloped him, and before your very eyes James transformed into someone else.

You sucked in a breath, half of a gasp when you realized who it was.

"... W-W-"

Julius Novachrono opened his eyes to stare down at you, the words catching in your throat. How could this be possible? Was this all a joke? Your heart pounded violently in your chest as his eyes, those intense, guilty eyes, never left your face.

But you knew it wasn't a joke. Because for the first time, those eyes belonged on his face.

"W-Wizard King?"

A flash of pain moved through his eyes as the strained whisper left your lips. _Wizard King..._ He could sense fear and shock in your voice, and he knew it was over. Julius sighed through his nose, and you felt his hand cup your cheek gently.

"... I'm sorry. Don't think about me any more."

With one last look, Julius moved to stand up and started to walk away.

You laid there in shock for a couple seconds before turning your head to watch him go. His shoulders were slumped, but his walk was graceful, his robe fluttering grandly around him.

But there was a weight to his movements. Not just the weight of his guilt, but...

The weight of loneliness.

A man, as great as him, could be lonely?

But he told you himself... you were exactly what he needed.

_James... no..._

"Julius!"

Julius stopped in his tracks at the sound of your voice saying his name for the first time. Someone grabbed onto him from behind, and his eyes widened at the feeling of their arms wrapped around him.

"Julius... I love you!"

After what felt like forever, Julius finally turned around to look down at your bright, happy eyes, shining up at him like two stars.

"...you really mean that?"

You nodded eagerly. "You're the most wonderful man I've ever met... and I don't want you to be lonely anymore. So..." You blushed a bit, and Julius felt himself start to smile. "Even though this was all a bit weird... let me stay by your side."

His arms were instantly around you, familiar warmth sinking you into bliss.

"Alright... thank you." He leaned down to press his forehead against yours as he clung to you tightly. He was already forgetting what it felt like to be lonely. "I love you too."

You only tore your gaze from his as you closed your eyes to lean up, letting him kiss you with his own lips for the very first time.


	4. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: sex.

After what felt like ages, you finally pulled back from Julius's lips to study the face of this man for the first time. Sure, you had met him before, but to think that you'd grown so close to him after this time...

He was handsome, no doubt about that. 'James' had been cute in a nerdy sort of way, his attractiveness stemming from the inside, but Julius was a downright gorgeous man. His angled features, his intense eyes, his messy blonde hair... you were suddenly becoming aware of how _strong_ he was as he held you in his embrace.

"You alright?"

His voice brought you back to reality, and you nodded slowly. Julius smiled again, his arms relaxing. "Maybe we should sit down... to talk about this."

"... yeah."

You found your way back to the couch, and into your previous position. Your cheeks started to heat up as he pulled your head against his chest, right into the white trim of his robe. His large hand carded through your hair gently, and silence settled between the two of you at last.

"...so..." you were the first one to speak, once you got comfortable and calmed down from the thrill of being held like this. "Why were you at that mixer in the first place?"

Julius chuckled a little at the question, the sound vibrating warmly through his chest. "I go out a lot in disguise, actually. Sometimes an old lady, or and old man, but I wanted to try something different. So... 'James' was born."

This time it was your turn to giggle. "Oh boy... you were probably just trying to have some fun, right?"

"Right. I didn't really plan on dating anyone. But... I'm glad you were there." You felt his arms tighten, and you looked up to see him gazing down at you. "And I'm glad that now... you can get to know the real me."

You matched his smile, subtly running a hand up the front of his chest. He was so sturdy, so... real. "I'll be happy to do so. I'm glad you decided to show me... I won't deny it was a little scary at first, but then I remembered that I _know_ you. Whether it's James or Julius, I wanted to keeping getting to know you."

"God... I really am a lucky man." The whisper caught you off guard. "I'm glad I got over my fear and told you. There's a lot more that I wanted to do with you, but I couldn't if you didn't know what you were getting into."

You raised an eyebrow at him, noticing a little guilt in his eyes. _That's right... he and I were really getting hot and heavy a couple minutes ago, he probably feels bad that he went that far. I don't want him to feel that guilt, so..._

"...what kind of things?" You batted your eyelashes up at him.

Julius blinked, a smile growing on his lips as he became very aware of your hand lingering on his chest. "... maybe I should show you?" Before your very eyes, the guilt faded out of his gaze to be quickly forgotten.

You answered him by leaning up to meet his lips once more, wrapping your arms around his neck. He hummed softly into the kiss, pulling you onto his lap and nudging your legs apart to make you straddle him. You only broke the kiss once to let out a shallow gasp, blushing furiously as the position was quite... intimate. "I'm sorry, is this too much?" Julius mumbled. You shook your head quickly, dispelling his doubts. You closed your eyes again and clutched at him as his hands pushed your hips against his. "You're making me so needy," he mumbled again, his eyes flickering open. "Maybe we should go to my room... if you still want to spend the night."

Your heart did a somersault at the words, and you weren't sure how to express _how much_ you wanted to do that. However, Julius got the message and quickly gathered you in his arms. You blushed at how easily he picked you up. "Hold on."

One second later, you were in his room. You didn't have much time to look around before he gently set you down on his large bed. You propped yourself up to watch as he pulled off that robe and kicked off his shoes, wiggling his eyebrows at you when he made eye contact. "Like what you see?"

"So far," you bit your lip as he started to unbutton his shirt. This was all happening so fast, but you wanted it so bad that it didn't matter. The sooner the better. You gulped and started to undo your shirt as well, but Julius quickly swooped in and pushed you down. You watched eagerly as he did it himself, then leaned down to kiss you once it was off. The feeling of his skin on yours was nothing short of exhilarating, paired with how he pushed you firmly into the mattress... and his hips rubbing against yours in just the right place...

You didn't notice the pleasure building up until it was too much, and you cried out against his lips. Julius pulled back to see what was wrong but realized what was happening when he saw how you were shaking. "Already?" he teased, a large hand coming up to knead at your breasts. "I wanted your first time to be on my cock~"

Oh boy. You didn't even have the presence of mind to be ashamed right now. "J-Julius, I want it-"

"I know, you're going to get it." Julius kissed all over your face before sitting up to undress you the rest of the way, his eyes moving over your skin appreciatively. "Wow... I never hoped that I would see you like this," he admitted, moving to undo his pants.

You smiled up at him, still a little dizzy. "Well, now you are... you're mine, Julius."

"I'm yours..." he whispered back, almost as if he was still trying to believe it. "And so is this."

You can probably imagine was "this" was. And a minute later it was inside you as Julius gently thrusted his hips, one hand petting your hair while the other propped himself up. You had fit three fingers into yourself before, but this was so much more yet it felt so good. Julius stifled a groan against your skin as you raked a hand through his messy hair, bucking your hips up into his movements. "Baby... I'm trying to go easy on you-"

"Don't. Fuck me hard, please." An sentence as obscene as that had never passed your lips before. Julius eagerly obeyed, his lips catching onto yours as he sped up. "Good girl... letting me fuck you hard. So good, all just for me-"

His words sent a chill right to your core and within seconds you were squirming under him again with another orgasm. Julius didn't stop, letting your ride it out on him. His end came a couple minutes later, and he moaned into your mouth as his seed coated your insides.

You squeaked as he let himself collapse on you, wrapping his arms around you tightly. He was blushing a little, but had a dazed grin on his face. "... I love you," he mumbled, nuzzling your face affectionately. "Thank you..."

"Thank you? For what?" You giggled and kissed his temple lightly.

"For... everything." Julius admired you for a couple more moments before finally sitting up. He quickly cleaned you up the best he could and dressed you in one of his clean shirts. Then, he pulled you back into bed and turned the light off. "This probably wasn't how you expected this evening to end, was it?" he asked sheepishly.

"Um, no, I can't say it was," you giggled a little as he snuggled around you. "But I'm glad it did... I love the unexpected, and I love you."

"I'm glad." Julius kissed your forehead one last time. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight... 'James'."

Julius's eyes popped back open at the name to see your eyes glinting mischievously. He couldn't help but chuckle a little. He wasn't used to being teased, but he liked it. "Watch it, I might turn back into James if you keep teasing me~"

"Noooo." You squirmed as his arms tightened around you and his lips started to tickle the skin behind your ear. "Alright, I'll go to sleep!"

"Good." Julius took one last look to make sure your eyes were closed, a sweet smile finding it's way onto his face.

"Goodnight... thank you for reminding me what it's like to be in love."

> _The End_


End file.
